


Love from California to Missouri

by ThreeKnivesInAWineGlass



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Angst, Light Angst, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-05
Packaged: 2019-11-12 13:29:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18011798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThreeKnivesInAWineGlass/pseuds/ThreeKnivesInAWineGlass
Summary: It was perfect, everything the movies say love is, and Mingyu let it go. He let Minghao leave him that one last time and go back to who knows where, where Mingyu will never be able to find him again.





	Love from California to Missouri

**Author's Note:**

> Presently a one shot but likely to be developed further at some point.
> 
> Author’s disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The characters I write about are based off of real people but are by no means intended to represent real people; the personalities I write are inferred from public personas and should not be taken as accurate portrayals of their real world counterparts.
> 
> I’ve been around enough to see people confusing fiction with reality, so before you read my story, I implore you to recognize these as characters, not celebrities. Please don’t project what you read in stories onto real people. Please respect real people.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy my fic.

Wind roars steady and muted outside Mingyu’s window and he sighs, pushing his plate of now cold pizza away from him. He usually enjoys sitting by his window, the view of countless little lights with the ocean in the distance may have lost its initial splendor from when Mingyu first moved to L.A. but he is far from sick of it. Even so, he can’t bring himself to enjoy the grand sight. Not tonight. Not most nights for a while now, actually.

He could see the stars, faintly, earlier, but now a layer of clouds blankets the sky, making everything seem just that much darker. Winter doesn’t normally affect anything, other than maybe bringing more rain to the city, and the warm, quiet nights of the season are some of Mingyu’s only reprieves from his daily stresses, though he finds himself affected by a lot of things that didn’t use to even make it onto his radar.

It’s all because of one boy. One silly, cute, stupid, smart, beautiful boy. It’s been months since Mingyu met him, seen him too, but Mingyu is still stuck on him. Soonyoung even joked that he should see a therapist about it.

Soonyoung doesn’t understand, though. It’s not funny, and it’s definitely not something hindering his life. No, if anything, meeting Minghao made his life better. So much better.

Life stopped feeling frantic when Mingyu happened upon Minghao outside a restaurant. He’d put on his best smile and asked about the weather, the basics, and then he found himself eating lunch with the most fascinating individual he’d ever had the pleasure of meeting on the street.

They spent the day together, and Mingyu learned that Minghao was in town for a work event, that he liked art, skateboarding, and wine. He also learned that Minghao was the spontaneous adventure type, memorizing a time and place for them to meet the next day off the back of a popsicle stick that Minghao had handed him shyly just before they parted ways.

Roughly four months later and Mingyu still remembers it all so clearly. He remembers the sunglasses Minghao was wearing, the way wind made his bangs sweep across his face, and the way sweat shone on his skin as they walked anywhere and everywhere.

He remembers everything from that glorious two weeks with Minghao. What he remembers best, however, is probably the first night they met up. They got ice cream and walked on the beach, and Mingyu still kicks himself for not holding Minghao’s hand or something. Talk about a missed opportunity.

And really, what an opportunity it was. The universe had practically been screaming at him to make a move, get up the courage to ask for Minghao’s phone number, for their time together to not be one of those summer adventure stories. Thinking back, Mingyu thinks Minghao might have been screaming at him too.

Their shoulders kept brushing, and Minghao kept smiling at him even though neither of them said a word for the longest time, both too busy licking stray ice cream drops from their fingers.

Minghao’s eyes were so pretty. Mingyu thinks that night might have been the first time he saw them. It was at least the first time he  _ really _ saw them. They were inexplicably beautiful, dark and rare, like black pearls. God, Mingyu misses them. He misses everything about Minghao.

Is it possible to forgive yourself for blowing something like that? It was perfect, everything the movies say love is, and Mingyu let it go. He let Minghao leave him that one last time and go back to who knows where, where Mingyu will never be able to find him again.

Even if you can forgive yourself for losing movie love, Mingyu’s not sure he wants to forgive himself.

He deserves to stare longingly out of his window, remembering laying in the sand with Minghao and looking at the few stars and constellations that they could find in the sky. He deserves to be haunted by the way Minghao had laughed and said that L.A. wasn’t any good for stargazing. He deserves to regret not saying that he was looking at a star right then and there.

Is that being too dramatic? Maybe. Mingyu refuses to think about it too hard though, because he’s sad and he wants to feel sad. It’s his right, damn it. Besides, Seungkwan is full of it when he says that wallowing has an expiration date. Wallowing is perfectly fine as long as you keep functioning. And Mingyu is still functioning.

He still goes out and has fun with his friends, he still calls his family, and he’s still working. His life isn’t slipping because of a boy. But if Minghao did come back and ask, Mingyu would willingly throw himself down a flight of stairs.

Maybe Soonyoung’s right that he should do something about this crush. What can be done though? Mingyu isn’t interested in having a one night stand, and he can’t contact Minghao to get closure. What’s left - distraction? He could always pick up a new hobby.

What even counts as a hobby? Photography counts, right? Photography could be good. Mingyu likes the idea of figuring out angles and lighting, how the rules apply differently to scenery and people.

Oh, he could keep a journal, too! He could keep a journal and put his pictures in it. Yes, that’s what he’ll do. Oh man, Mingyu’s going to make both Soonyoung and Seungkwan eat their words. He’s totally not stuck on Minghao anymore. At least, he’s about to not be stuck on him anymore. Getting over heartbreak’s always had a learning curve, and Mingyu suspects that it will continue having one until the end of time.

A gentle rhythm starts tapping on Mingyu’s window, and he looks out to see that it’s raining. Little drops hit and break against the glass, carrying on until the little drops become bigger ones, and the quiet pitter-patter turns to a stream of dull thuds.

It makes him think of Minghao.

**Author's Note:**

> Art is only complete once it has been witnessed. Want to help finish a story? Leave a comment. If you have a thought after reading a fic, tell the author about it. Comments motivate, inspire, and please us immensely - like a cat getting pats. So spread a little goodness, support your fandom authors and leave a comment to let them know you see their work.


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